U.S. patent application number 10/660603 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-25 for reactor unit.
Invention is credited to Kaneko, Masaaki, Sato, Hitoshi.
Application Number | 20040056747 10/660603 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31973280 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040056747 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kaneko, Masaaki ; et
al. |
March 25, 2004 |
Reactor unit
Abstract
A reactor unit comprises a basket body, a plurality of reactor
bodies, a lid body, and a mold resin. The basket body has one open
face and is made of a metal. The reactor bodies are accommodated in
the basket body. The lid body is made of a metal and closes an open
end of the basket body. Outlet holes are formed in the lid body.
The mold resin is a curable resin. The basket body is filled with
the mold resin, with a coil of each of the reactor bodies having
been drawn out from a corresponding one of the outlet holes of the
lid body. In this reactor unit, at least one partition, which is
located between the reactor bodies and whose leading end extends
from an inner face of at least one of the basket body and the lid
body and abuts on an inner face of the other, is formed
protrusively.
Inventors: |
Kaneko, Masaaki;
(Kariya-shi, JP) ; Sato, Hitoshi; (Kagamihara-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENYON & KENYON
1500 K STREET, N.W., SUITE 700
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
31973280 |
Appl. No.: |
10/660603 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
336/90 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01F 27/022 20130101;
H01F 30/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
336/090 |
International
Class: |
H01F 027/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 25, 2002 |
JP |
2002-279431 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A reactor unit comprising: a basket body which has one open face
and which is made of a metal; a plurality of reactor bodies which
are accommodated in the basket body; a lid body which is made of a
metal, which closes an open end of the basket body, and in which
outlet holes are formed; and a mold resin which is a curable resin
and with which the basket body is filled with a coil of each of the
reactor bodies having been drawn out from a corresponding one of
the outlet holes of the lid body, wherein at least one partition,
which is located between the reactor bodies and whose leading end
extends from an inner face of at least one of the basket body and
the lid body and abuts on an inner face of the other, is formed
protrusively.
2. The reactor unit according to claim 1, wherein the partition is
formed integrally with at least one of the basket body and the lid
body.
3. The reactor unit according to claim 1, wherein the partition is
so formed as to extend an entire depth of, as well as substantially
across an entire width of, the basket body.
4. The reactor unit according to claim 3, wherein an opening
through which the mold resin passes is formed in a certain part of
the partition.
5. The reactor unit according to claim 4, wherein the opening is
formed in the vicinity of the inner face of the lid body.
6. The reactor unit according to claim 5, wherein the opening is a
notch in which a wire for a temperature detector disposed in the
basket body is located.
7. The reactor unit according to claim 1, wherein there is a gap
between the partition and the reactor bodies while the mold resin
is interposed therebetween.
8. The reactor unit according to claim 1, wherein there is no gap
between the partition and the reactor bodies while the mold resin
is interposed therebetween.
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0001] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.
2002-279431 filed on Sep. 25, 2002, including the specification,
drawings, and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a reactor unit whose reactor bodies
can be cooled efficiently.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Heretofore, there has been known a reactor unit whose
smoothing reactors, which are used for an electric power converter,
for example, a converter, an inverter or the like, can be cooled
efficiently. For instance, such a reactor unit is disclosed in
Paragraph 0007 and FIGS. 1 and 2 of Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open No. 5-109542.
[0006] In the reactor unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open No. 5-109542, reactor bodies, each of which is
constructed by winding a pair of coils around an iron core, are
accommodated in a metal box-type case exhibiting a high thermal
conductivity, and a space formed in the case is filled with a resin
insulant exhibiting a high thermal conductivity.
[0007] A curable resin such as epoxy resin or the like is used as
the resin insulant that is high in thermal conductivity. Shrinkage
or the like of the resin occurring during curing thereof causes
problems. That is, the resin insulant in the metal box-type case is
detached from an inner face thereof, and the metal box-type case
undergoes deformation such as distortion or the like.
[0008] Hence, in order to prevent such detachment or deformation,
there has been known another technology. According to this
technology, a basket body made of a metal and having one open face,
reactor bodies accommodated in the basket body, a lid body made of
a metal and closing an open end of the basket body, and a curable
mold resin filling the interior of the basket body are provided.
Eight spaces to be filled with the mold resin are formed between
the reactor bodies and the lid body. These spaces are separated
from one another by a pair of cruciform spacers and a plate-type
spacer located between the cruciform spacers. The spaces thus
defined serve to reduce shrinkage ratio of the mold resin. For
instance, such a technology is disclosed in Paragraph 0007 and
FIGS. 1 and 2 of Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No.
4133486.
[0009] A reactor unit constructed as described above and disclosed
in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 4-133486 serves
only to reduce shrinkage ratio of the mold resin and cannot
suppress shrinkage thereof sufficiently. In particular, the lid
body is designed simply as a plate and thus cannot be prevented
from being deformed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In order to solve the problems stated above, the invention
provides, as an exemplary embodiment thereof, a reactor unit which
can be prevented from being deformed due to shrinkage of a mold
resin occurring during curing thereof.
[0011] First of all, therefore, there is provided a reactor unit
comprising a basket body, a plurality of reactor bodies, a lid
body, and a mold resin. The basket body has one open face and is
made of a metal. The reactor bodies are accommodated in the basket
body. The lid body is made of a metal and closes an open end of the
basket body. Outlet holes are formed in the lid body. The mold
resin is a curable resin. The basket body is filled with the mold
resin, with a coil of each of the reactor bodies having been drawn
out from a corresponding one of the outlet holes of the lid body.
This reactor unit is characterized in that at least one partition,
which is located between the reactor bodies and whose leading end
extends from an inner face of at least one of the basket body and
the lid body and abuts on an inner face of the other, is formed
protrusively.
[0012] According to the reactor unit thus constructed, the basket
body made of the metal has one open face, and the open end of the
basket body is closed by the lid body made of the metal. The
partition, whose leading end extends from the inner face of one of
the basket body and the lid body and abuts on the inner face of the
other, is formed protrusively. The reactor bodies are accommodated
in the basket body such that the partition is located between the
reactor bodies. The basket body is filled with the curable mold
resin, with the coil of each of the reactor bodies having been
drawn out from a corresponding one of the outlet holes formed in
the lid body.
[0013] Thus, even if the mold resin filling the interior of the
basket body has shrunk while curing, the lid body can be prevented
from being deformed because the inner face of the lid body abuts on
and is supported by the partition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above-mentioned construction and other constructions,
objects, features, advantages, technical and industrial
significance of this invention will be better understood by reading
the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of
the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1A is a frontal longitudinal sectional view of a
reactor unit in accordance with a first embodiment of the
invention;
[0016] FIG. 1B is a lateral longitudinal sectional view of the
reactor unit in accordance with the first embodiment of the
invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a frontal sectional view which illustrates how a
basket body and a lid body of the reactor unit in accordance with
the first embodiment of the invention are related to each
other;
[0018] FIG. 3A is a frontal longitudinal sectional view of a
reactor unit in accordance with a second embodiment of the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 3B is a lateral longitudinal sectional view of the
reactor unit in accordance with the second embodiment of the
invention; and
[0020] FIG. 4 is a frontal sectional view which illustrates how a
basket body and a lid body of the reactor unit in accordance with
the second embodiment of the invention are related to each
other.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0021] In the following description and the accompanying drawings,
the invention will be described in more detail in terms of
exemplary embodiments thereof.
[0022] (First Embodiment)
[0023] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a reactor unit in accordance with
the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1A is a frontal
longitudinal sectional view of the reactor unit. FIG. 1B is a
lateral longitudinal sectional view of the reactor unit. FIG. 2 is
a frontal sectional view illustrating how a basket body and a lid
body of the reactor unit are related to each other.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2, a reactor unit 11 includes
a basket body 12 made of a metal exhibiting a relatively high
thermal conductivity, for example, of aluminum or the like, a
plurality of reactor bodies 13 accommodated in the basket body 12,
a plate-type lid body 14 made of a metal exhibiting a relatively
high thermal conductivity, for example, of aluminum or the like,
and a curable mold resin 15 with which the basket body 12 is
filled.
[0025] The basket body 12 has one open face. An open end 12a of the
basket body 12 is closed by the lid body 14. A brim-type flange 12b
for fixing the lid body 14 is integrated with the basket body 12.
Two partitions 12d formed as rising walls are integrated with the
basket body 12 in such a manner as to protrude from an inner bottom
face (inner face) thereof.
[0026] Leading ends of the partitions 12d are extended so far as to
abut on a bottom face (inner face) 14a of the lid body 14 when the
open end 12a is closed by the lid body 14. The partitions 12d
cooperate with a wall face 12e to form three accommodation spaces
12f into which the interior of the basket body 12 is equally
divided. The wall face 12e faces the partitions 12d of the basket
body 12. In addition, a notch 12g is formed in each of the
partitions 12d at a position close to the open end 12a. A wire 16
for a temperature detector (not shown) provided in the basket body
12 is located in the notch 12g. The temperature detector is
provided to detect a temperature of each of the reactor bodies 13.
A thermistor or the like is employed as the temperature
detector.
[0027] Each of the reactor bodies 13 includes an iron core 17 and a
pair of coils 18 wound around the iron core 17. Crimp contacts (not
shown) are fitted to leading ends of the coils 18.
[0028] Outlet holes 14b are formed in the lid body 14. An end of
each of the coils 18 passes through a corresponding one of the
outlet holes 14b. The wire 16, which is extended from the
aforementioned temperature detector and which is so disposed as to
pass through the notch 12g of a corresponding one of the partitions
12d, is drawn out from one of the outlet holes 14b.
[0029] A curable resin exhibiting insulating properties, for
example, epoxy resin or the like is employed as the mold resin 15.
Each of the accommodation spaces 12f is filled with the mold resin
15 flowing from a corresponding one of the outlet holes 14b, such
that the mold resin 15 surrounds each of the reactor bodies 13
accommodated in a corresponding one of the accommodation spaces
12f. In this case, a surplus of the mold resin 15, which results
from differences among amounts of the mold resin 15 with which the
accommodation spaces 12f are filled, is supplied to an adjacent one
of the accommodation spaces 12f from a gap formed between the notch
12g and the wire 16. As a result, the mold resin 15 can be supplied
to the accommodation spaces 12f homogeneously.
[0030] In the aforementioned construction, the reactor unit 11 has
the reactor bodies 13 accommodated in the accommodation spaces 12f
of the basket body 12 respectively. After the temperature detector
has been accommodated in an arbitrary (preferably central) one of
the accommodation spaces 12f, the end of each of the coils 18 of
each of the reactor bodies 13 is drawn out from a corresponding one
of the outlet holes 14b of the lid body 14. While being so disposed
as to extend along the notch 12g, the wire 16 is drawn out from a
corresponding one of the outlet holes 14b.
[0031] In this state, while the coils 18 and the wire 16 that have
been drawn out from the outlet holes 14b are maintained in a
suitably strained state, the open end 12a is closed by the lid body
14. Then, the mold resin 15 is fed from each of the outlet holes
14b (or an arbitrary one of the outlet holes 14b).
[0032] The mold resin 15 is thereafter cured. Because of a
reduction in volume resulting from division of the interior of the
basket body 12 into the accommodation spaces 12f and abutment of
the leading ends of the partitions 12d on the bottom face 14a of
the lid body 14, shrinkage of the mold resin 15 occurring during
curing thereof does not lead to deformation of the lid body 14.
[0033] Further, since the partitions 12d are integrated with the
basket body 12, the basket body 12 can also be prevented from being
deformed.
[0034] (Second Embodiment)
[0035] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a reactor unit in accordance with
the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3A is a frontal
longitudinal sectional view of the reactor unit. FIG. 3B is a
lateral longitudinal sectional view of the reactor unit. FIG. 4 is
a frontal sectional view illustrating how a basket body and a lid
body of the reactor unit are related to each other.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4, a reactor unit 21 includes
a basket body 22 made of a metal exhibiting a relatively high
thermal conductivity, for example, of aluminum or the like, the
reactor bodies 13 accommodated in the basket body 22, a plate-type
lid body 24 made of a metal exhibiting a relatively high thermal
conductivity, for example, of aluminum or the like, and the curable
mold resin 15 with which the basket body 22 is filled.
[0037] The basket body 22 has one open face. An open end 22a of the
basket body 22 is closed by the lid body 24. The basket body 22 has
a brim-type flange 22b for fixing the lid body 24.
[0038] Partitions 24d are integrated with a bottom face (inner
face) 24a of the lid body 24 in such a manner as to protrude
therefrom. When the open end 22a is closed by the lid body 24, the
partitions 24d abut on a bottom face (inner face) 22c of the basket
body 22. Outlet holes 24b are formed in the lid body 24. An end of
each of the coils 18 passes through a corresponding one of the
outlet holes 24b.
[0039] The wire 16 for a temperature detector (not shown) provided
in the basket body 22 is drawn out from one of the outlet holes
24b. The wire 16 is so disposed as to pass through a notch 24g
formed in each of the partitions 24d at a position close to the
bottom face 24a. The temperature detector is provided to detect a
temperature of each of the reactor bodies 13. A thermistor or the
like is employed as the temperature detector.
[0040] Each of the accommodation spaces 22f is filled with the mold
resin 15 flowing from a corresponding one of the outlet holes 24b,
such that the mold resin 15 surrounds each of the reactor bodies 13
accommodated in a corresponding one of the accommodation spaces
22f. In this case, a surplus of the mold resin 15, which results
from differences among amounts of the mold resin 15 with which the
accommodation spaces 22f are filled, is supplied to an adjacent one
of the accommodation spaces 22f from a gap formed between the notch
24g and the wire 16. As a result, the mold resin 15 can be supplied
to the accommodation spaces 22f homogeneously.
[0041] In the aforementioned construction, the reactor unit 21 has
the reactor bodies 13 accommodated at suitable locations of the
basket body 22. After the temperature detector has been
accommodated in an arbitrary (preferably central) one of the
accommodation spaces 22f, the end of each of the coils 18 of each
of the reactor bodies 13 is drawn out from a corresponding one of
the outlet holes 24b of the lid body 24. While being so disposed as
to extend along the notch 24g, the wire 16 is drawn out from a
corresponding one of the outlet holes 24b.
[0042] In this state, while the coils 18 and the wire 16 that have
been drawn out from the outlet holes 24b are maintained in a
suitably strained state, the open end 22a is closed by the lid body
24. Then, the mold resin 15 is fed from each of the outlet holes
24b (or an arbitrary one of the outlet holes 24b).
[0043] The mold resin 15 is thereafter cured. Because of a
reduction in volume resulting from division of the interior of the
basket body 22 into the accommodation spaces 22f and abutment of
the leading ends of the partitions 24d on the bottom face 22c of
the basket body 22, shrinkage of the mold resin 15 occurring during
curing thereof does not lead to deformation of the lid body 24.
[0044] In each of the aforementioned first and second embodiments,
each of the reactor bodies 13 is spaced from a corresponding one of
the partitions 12d or 24d (and the wall face 12e of the basket body
12 or a wall face 22e of the basket body 22) by a gap. However,
each of the reactor bodies 13 may be disposed with this gap being
eliminated. That is, the gap between each of the reactor bodies 13
and the wall face of a corresponding one of the partitions 12d or
24d (and the wall face 12e or 22e of the basket body 12 or 22) may
be filled with the mold resin.
[0045] In such a case, therefore, according to an assembly
procedure of the first embodiment for example, while the reactor
bodies 13 are accommodated on the side of the basket body 12, the
open end 12a is closed by the lid body 14.
[0046] In the second embodiment, it is possible to adopt an
assembly procedure wherein the basket body 22 is so fitted to the
lid body 24 as to cover it while the reactor bodies 13 are retained
on the side of the lid body 24, as well as the aforementioned
assembly procedure wherein the reactor bodies 13 are accommodated
at suitable locations.
[0047] In each of the aforementioned embodiments, the partitions
12d or 24d are so formed as to extend across the entire interior of
the basket body 12 or 22. However, the partitions 12d or 24d may be
divided into a plurality of portions such that they look like teeth
of a comb in a side view, with the notch 12g or 24g being dispensed
with.
[0048] The reactor unit of the invention is constructed as
described above and thus can be prevented from being deformed due
to shrinkage of the mold resin occurring during curing thereof.
[0049] While the invention has been described with reference to
preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments or
constructions. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover
various modifications and equivalent arrangements. In addition,
while the various elements of the preferred embodiments are shown
in various combinations and configurations, which are exemplary,
other combinations and configurations, including more, less or only
a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *